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At David Allen, we understand the significance of writing a Will.  It is not just a legal document, it is a way to safeguard your loved ones’ future and ensure that your wishes are honoured.  We take pride in our ability to guide you through this process with care and expertise.

What should you bring to the appointment?

• Identification with your full name, address and date of birth.
• Full names, addresses and dates of birth of your children, executors and beneficiaries.
• A rough idea of your assets including values, divided into those you own yourself and those you own jointly.

Key decisions to think about before your appointment 

Executors

These are the people who will carry out your wishes, they will administer and distribute your estate under the terms of your Will.  We would always suggest having more than one person appointed, just in case one person is unable or no longer willing to act as your executor.

Trustees

These may be the same people as your executors.  If monies are held in trust due to beneficiaries being underage or vulnerable, who would you wish to be responsible for this?

Care for your pets

Consider who you would like to look after your pets.  You may choose to add a pecuniary legacy onto this to help with their care.

Specific gifts

Is there a specific item you wish to leave to someone?  These will pass to the named people before the rest of your estate is dealt with.

Percuniary (monetary) gifts

Is there anyone you would like to leave a specific sum of money to?  This could be a person, group of people or a charity.  Again, these are paid out before the rest of your estate is dealt with.

The residue of your estate

Who is to receive the remainder of your estate after any gifts have been given, any funeral and administrative expenses have been paid?  You may wish to leave this just to one person or divide this into multiple shares.

Guardians for children

If you have children under 18, who would you want to look after them if anything happened to you?  It is important to note that if someone else also has parental responsibility they are the next person who would be looking after them.

Specific wishes

You may want to include specific wishes regarding your funeral.  While these are not legally binding, they can put the pressure off your loved ones when organising your funeral with clarity on what you would have wanted.

Additional considerations to discuss with our Wills Specialist

It is important to discuss the following situations, as they will influence the structure of your will:

• You and your partner have children from previous relationships and want to protect your own children.
• You have concerns about your spouse remarrying after your death and disinheriting your children.
• Are any of your beneficiaries vulnerable?
• Do you have any intention to marry?
• What you want to happen if your beneficiaries should die before you?

Please get in touch to arrange an appointment, call us on 01228 711888.  Our Wills team will be happy to assist you with any questions you may have.

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